


Asleep on the Job

by doctor_hemlock



Series: Death Note [1]
Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, One Shot, Reader Insert, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Slow Romance, Subtle Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 08:52:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16950873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_hemlock/pseuds/doctor_hemlock
Summary: The investigation combined with her (highly probable) affection for him seems to have caught up to her.Not that he really seemed to mind.





	Asleep on the Job

As L crouched in front of the bright screen, deep breathing and soft snores were heard in the background as the footage ended. Turning his head, resembling an owl in a sense, he quirked a brow at the source of the noise. (Y/N) was curled into the couch, arms wrapped around a pillow tightly as she dozed off. Watari was above her, draping a blanket over her sleeping form with a pleasant smile.

L stood slowly, stretching his arms above his head. Most of the men from the Task Force had gone home, but she always remained afterward, choosing to stay with him to continue working. Night after night, her trying to keep up with his sleep (or lack thereof) schedule had taken its toll and finally caught up with her. Though through the dusky twilight, they found themselves slipping from the topic of Kira into other, unrelated areas.

He had to admit, he was enjoying her company for more reasons than her astounding work ethic and quick mind. Learning someone new, someone who enjoyed the coy smirks and sarcastic remarks he would send her way. Someone understanding, who took in his viewpoints in an unbiased manner before sharing her own, who was gentle in her exchanges with him. Every time her fingers brushed against his when handing him a coffee, a plate of sweets she’d made, or even a file, warmth spread through him.

“Ryuzaki.” Watari hummed, looking down at the girl before turning on his heel, walking out of the room.

A few moments passed, and he walked over to where she laid. Curiously he watched her round face, studying her dark circles. Her small hands clutched the fluffy throw pillow she’d fallen asleep on, turning to face the small television on the coffee table they’d brought in to further assist in analyzing. Crouching in front of her, he laid his forearms on the arm of the sofa, placing his head on them to further examine her. Moving a cautious hand, he thumbed through her hair, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “Sleep well, (Y/N).”

 

A few nights later this occurred again, her falling asleep on the job. Once again, she tucked into the couch, snug beneath the blanket Watari had left for her and wrapped around a pillow. L mentioned this habit to her the night before, wondering why she’d cling to something so tightly instead of laying on it.

Plucking the strawberry from his cake, he dangled it above her mouth. His eyes homed in on her rosy lips, wrapped around the crimson fruit and biting down gently with a quiet, fresh crunch. The subtlest of shivers crawled through him at the sound, and she pulled back from it with a satisfied smile. Her thigh lay right next to where his toes dig into the cushion.

“(Y/N). May I ask you something?”

Swallowing the bite, she nodded, reaching for her mug of coffee.

“Why do you hold the pillow when you sleep?”

Her (E/C) eyes went wide, and she slammed the mug down, splashing the liquid everywhere. Coughing roughly, she sat up to try and catch the sip she’d choked on. L patted her back gently but firmly, imitating her actions, having watched her closely whenever interacting with Matsuda or Light. One of Matsuda’s habits seemed to be choking on whatever food or drink he was consuming when (Y/N) spoke to him, and she’d have to pat his back in order to bring the bite up and regulate his breathing.

At last she caught her breath, leaning back into the couch as she gasped for air. L allowed his hand to lay on her back, slowly moving to a sitting position like hers. She watched him in surprise but said nothing. Instead she moved ever so slightly further into him, pressing her thigh into his folded knee.

“Ehhh...” she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, shifting her damp waves nervously.

“It’s sort of out of habit, I guess. A few years ago I was accustomed to sleeping with someone, but when we split up, I realized how much I hated sleeping alone, and sort of latched onto the pillow subconsciously.”

He contemplated this, but nodded with her answer. Of course, he felt immensely relieved and glad that she wasn’t sleeping with anyone currently, both for the investigation’s sake and his own purely selfish reasons.

So tonight as she buried her face into the pillow, he moved slowly. Leaving the monitors in their place so he could resume where he left off the next day, he stood from his usual perch. Walking over to her, he gingerly slid the pillow from her grasp, rousing her from her slumber. Wiping her eyes groggily, she mumbled. “Ryuzaki...?”

Rather than answer, he crawled beneath the blanket with her. Taking her arms, he wrapped them about himself, doing the same to her. (Y/N) was still halfway awake, watching him with a shocked smile.

L quickly became comfortable in her warm embrace, immediately glad he’d acted. When he met her questioning eye, he stared her down.

“I shall be your pillow.”

 

Of course, he’d removed himself from their nest before the others came in the next morning, replacing his body with the pillow from before. Listening to their murmurs and shuffles, he heard (Y/N)’s soft moans as someone shook her awake.

“(Y/N)...” Matsuda’s voice cooed, trying to be as gentle as possible. It was evident she was awake now, as the slightly older man giggled softly at her.

“You really should start going home at night, get some rest. One of us can stay here with Ryuzaki, if need be. You need rest too, just like everyone else.”

A tired chuckle escaped her lips as she stretched, L hearing the resounding pops and cracks that came from her body. Light contributed to Matsuda’s gentle chide.

“Yes, (Y/N), you’re still young, but you need as much rest as we all do.”

Instead of responding, L waited, wondering what her response would be. He felt the weight of her gaze on the back of his head.

“It’s okay guys, I’m perfectly fine staying here with Ryuzaki. I feel great after last night, I’m ready for today.”

L smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not great with the separation of events and times, but I'll work on it. This is my first work here, hope you enjoy!


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